Matsubun Co. LTD. (Adachi City)

Business Category : Processing(other)

Created on 2016-3-3
Updated on 2016-3-3

Matsubun Co. LTD.

Founded in 1939, Matsubun Co. LTD. is a long-established embroidery maker also offering embroidery works to world famous leading brands. It is steadily running the business even today when there have long been calls for apparel recessions. We asked third generation representative president Teruhito Matsumoto for the reason behind the strength.

※Photo: Representative Director Teruhito Matsumoto

Beautiful embroideries appreciated by top brands

In the age where “simple embroidery designing” with computers is the main stream, we persist in “hand punch designing.” This method requires more than 3 times costs and time compared to computer designing but can realize much finer and more beautiful embroidery expressions. These technologies have been highly evaluated by worldwide apparel brands and since ‘70s we have been appointed by them for embroidery works. In ‘90s, we became a certified company for embroidery works for a certain top brand and have since been working on its proprietary products and those licensed by sporting goods makers.

※Photo: Embroidery works using its favorite designing methods (inside the factory)

New business grown to a pillar of earnings

We started a new business selling embroidery products to ordinary companies 10 years ago. We thought it necessary to expand client base to stabilize our business performance because the fashion industry is very volatile depending heavily on fashions at the time. A key to the new business is package sale of Polo shirts, towels/handkerchiefs or caps with embroideries on them. Also, we employed a same pricing system (excluding emblems) because pricing of embroidery products are opaque and very complex. We tried to set reasonable prices such as a polo shirt with embroidery on it at \1,890 (minimum quantity: 30). The new business has become popular thanks to these strategies and now grown to our mainstay with its sales reaching 90% of total.

Convenient location boosting our business

What we really felt after business partners increased was the advantage of our factory located in Tokyo which offers good accesses. The opening of the Tsukuba Express in 2005 made our location even more convenient: only a 4-minute walk from the nearest station "Rokucho". Corporate customers are also happy as they can conveniently visit for meetings or rush to us in case of emergency with this distance. Our good access is truly helpful.

Aiming to grow further using municipal supports

Also helpful are municipal’s sufficient supports. There are door-to-door counselors called “matching creators” actively working in Adachi City. Introduced by one of them, we used a support measure “business challenge” which subsidizes a half of costs to be spent on new business developments. We started selling new products in June 2011. Previously, we purchased China-made polo shirts from a maker but switched them to our originals. The product, insistently whole Japan-made, is a quality polo shirt, receiving inquiries right after the launce from department stores and others. We will continue to make embroidery products likely enhancing customers’ brand images, staying here to disseminate attraction of embroideries.